Windows Calculator is so bad ....
The Windows calculator is so bad that there may
be more alternatives than any
other category of software. DeskCalc is a recent addition to the library,
and
for some people it will be worth the wait.
DeskCalc is built on the model of a mechanical adding
machine. Remember those?
(If so, you're getting old and probably lust for a Rolling Stones concert
ticket.)
You enter the number, crank a handle, get ready
to enter the next number or perform
the calculation. The whole series of operations you're doing is recorded
on paper to
check and to store.
Well, the program DeskCalc has all of that in digital
form, and quite a bit more as
well. It's basically a program for people who work with numbers, particularly
money numbers
in an office of between one and thousands of employees.
As you enter numbers, DeskCalc records and shows
what you have done. Of course, basic
arithmetical operations are simple, including percentages to cover discounts,
taxes,
VAT and the like. Frequently used operations can be put on macro keys.
The program is European, and an extremely nice feature
is automatic conversion of
any number in memory to Euros at a keystroke.
Of course, bulky mechanical monstrosities did all
of this, although cranking those
old machines was both tiring and far too close for comfort (for me) to how
a slot
machine of chance works. Plus it took a lot of little paper rolls.
DeskCalc is lovely, quiet and efficient for fast
arithmetic. But the real power and
usefulness of this utility lies in what it can do after you've finished
the basic
calculations.
DeskCalc rounds down or up as you wish, and subdivides
into thousands for easier
explanation to the boss.
DeskCalc is an OLE-compliant program. Translation: It will exchange information
with any other such program in Windows.
A real and wonderfully useful and almost automatic
example is highlighted in the
program _ which will export the whole operation or selected parts into Excel
spreadsheets. It is also wonderfully adaptable for printing, whether in
text,
database or spreadsheet form.
Wanda Sloan ( financial magazin)
